On Diagnosis

“When newly diagnosed the impact on the person/ family is like a bomb going off- everyone is stunned, the air is cloudy and you can’t see the way forward. You feel stuck in time, stranded, isolated, victimised, life as you know it will never be the same. The rest of the world carries on around you, and you have to find a new way to slot back into it. This is made even more difficult because nobody explains to you how to do it, when to do it, what to do if you need help, where to go for help, how to get there, who to ask when you get there.

This is even more of a problem when the condition is rare, because nobody knows about it. It doesn’t fall under any umbrella so there is no system, set of guidelines, leaflet, specialist in place that can guide you.